Minsk-Vilnius railway passenger numbers up 37% in January-July

      In January-July 2013 trains on the Vilnius-Minsk route carried 191,000 passengers, up 37% compared with the same period in 2012, we learnt from the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Lithuania.
Lietuvos Gelezinkeliu Company (Lithuanian Railways), which started using new diesel trains on the Vilnius-Minsk route on 26 May, carried 23,000 passengers in the past two months. New diesel trains imported from Poland ply from Vilnius to Minsk and back twice a day. The journey takes two and a half hours. Passengers and luggage undergo Lithuania’s customs clearance at a specially equipped terminal at the Vilnius railway station. Customs control by Belarus is conducted aboard the moving train.
      Lietuvos Gelezinkeliu has worked out a project for the reconstruction of the terminal. The project envisages the operation of eight customs officers instead of current four. The move will allow reducing time spent at the terminal.
      According to the Lithuanian Department on Tourism, the Belarusian tourist spends a minimum of $450 during one trip to Lithuania.